Adjustable holder



SR EL@ Drasmagg 7145 0R 1,5em509 ,f f R. CHAMBERS 5 ADJUSTABLE HOLDER l 4 7- Filed April e, 1925 i r L 12 6 11 -5 31 29 j., @imE 28 f Z5 y' n 'fl y 27 9 0 m ,1' 26 20 2, *14. 30

IW.. .u 32 al@ 7.5 7% D I l i l EEH'U 6 13 f1/K i 7 35 g "3L w. .,'f'l "im, w i 77 7??" :l 'ff 1' f5 ff/MM mm1/m JHM M mw Patented May 11, 1926. j i UNITED STATES PATENT CFF-ICE.

ROBERT CHAMBERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ADJUSTABLE HOLDER.

Application led April 9, 1925. Serial No. 21,994.

holder run true and keep the needle tip always in the same plane. Otherwise, at a crictical momcnt in the dissection, a reversal ot a horizontal adjust-ing screw may either suddenly lower the needle tip out of focus or jam it against the coverslip and break it.

Ot equal importance is the elimination of lost motion in the moving parts of the adjustable needle holder. This condition which cannot bc eliminated in adjustable holders employing such means as gears, racks and slides, makes it ditlicult to accurately control the manipulation of the needle tip, particularly when it is realized that the object under observation is invisible to the naked eye.

The present invention has for its object to provide a needle holder capable of two rl`his invention relates to adjustable holders and more particularly to a holderknown as a micro-manipi1lator-or manipulating a dissecting needle or micropipette in various vertical, horizontal, and other directions in the field of any ofthe magniiications of a compound microscope.

T he apparatus embodying the present invention is especially useful for, though not limited to, the manipulation of instruments to dissect living cells or other microscopic objects in the focal view of a high powered microscope.

In the study ot living cells under microscopes of the highest magnification, it has been found necessary to dissect the cells for a proper understanding of the physical properties of protoplasm and their structural components. The only instrument right-angled movements 1n tpemnorizontai, hitherto used for this purpose is the Barber plane anda movement ma yertical plane toapparatus which will be briey described in gtl'e`with vaioii'smifitermediate"combinaorder to make clear the purpose of the prestion movements and vertical adjustment of ent invention. the needle carrier, and complete elimination In the Barber apparatus, a moist chamof lost motion in the moving parts of the ber, open at one end and having sides from holder. v 8 to 12 mm. high, is placed on the micro- One object of the invention is to provide scope so that it may be moved about with an adustable holder adapted to carry a mithe mechanical stage thereof. This chamber cro-pipette for isolatingwbacteria and protois roofed over with a carefully cleaned zoa,aritlfiiapilatinggsinglcaiiiftlfad35 overslip on the under surface of which the `alantcellsieither for dissection or injection. specimen is mounted in a shallow hanging further object is to provide means for drop of a physiologically indifferent liquid. marking microscopic regions on a slide, and A dissecting needle is made by drawing out t0 provide an apparatus in which any como'ieend of a piece oir glass tubing and bendbination o f three movements may be used in mo-leg iop two Jorhtinlevenrinill'i'?N precision instruments, such as, moving two Trieters from the piit'ed tip.V` A needl cross hairs into proper alignment. 'Hl'drw'which is a mechanism permitting A further object is to provide an adjustthree movements, is clamped to one side of able holder for any other purpose which has the mechanical stage of the microscope, the few parts, is simple in construction, easy to dissecting needle clamped in position theremanipulate, and one which will maintain its on, and the holder operated until the needle accuracy and smoothness of action indefprojects into themoist chamber with its tip initely. pointing up into the hanging drop. By In the drawings illustrating the invenproper adjustment of the holder the cell to tionbe dissected and the tip of the needle are Figure l is a perspective view in assemcaretully brought into the same focal tieldl bled relation of the parts comprising the ino the high powered microscope. The three vention, movements of the needle, permitted by the Figure 2 is a plan View. needle holder, and the two movements of the Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on ,105 moist chamber, permitted by the mechaniline 3 3 of Figure l with parts omitted. cal stage, give the experimenter ample op- Figure 4 illustrates a moditication. portunity to carry on dissection under the Referring to the drawing', more particuhighest magnification of the microscope. larly Figure 3, a vertical supporting bar 5 In constructing the micro-dissection inprovided at its upper end With'a pair of strument it is of the utmost importance that offset laterally extending lugs 6, 6 adapted the two horizontal movements of the needle t'o 'rest upon thefstage 7 of a. microscope or other support. A pair of lower* lugs 8, 8 form bearings for a pair of clamping screws 9, 9 which cooperate with the lugs 6 to clamp lthe holder to the stage. The upper portion of the bar 5 is further recessed between the lugs 6 to receive a movable vertical bar 10. The two bars 5 and 10 are hingedly connected at their tops by means of a spring plate 11 secured by screws 12. The bar 10 is recessed as at 13 to allow proper clearance for the edge of the stage 7, so that the bar 10 may be adjusted with respect to the bar 5 without contacting with the stage.

The numeral 63 denotes an adjusting screw in threaded engagement with bar 5. By manipulating the screw, the bar 10 may be adjusted towards or away from bar 5.

Angularly positioned with respect to the bar 10 and supported thereon are the three horizontal adjusting bars 14, 15 and 16. The bar 14 is secured rigidly to the bar 10 by means of a screw 17, Figure 2.

The bars 14 and 15 are hingedly connected at one end by a springl 18, and the bars 15 and 16 are hingedly connected at the opposite end by a similar spring 19. The three bars are in nested relation throughout their entire length, with bar 15 occupying the middle position.

An adjusting screw 2O is in threaded engagement with the bar 14 and bears against the bar 15. Another adjusting screw 21 passes through a smooth bore 22 in the bar 14 and is in threaded engagement with the bar 15. The screw 21 bears'against the bar 16.

The three bars 14, 15 and 16 are guided in a true horizontal plane by means of two disks, one above and one below the bars and marked 23.

The micro-pipette or needle 25J is preferably hrs adjusted 1n a needle holder 26 and clamped by means of a screw 27 which bears against a spring 28 lixed in the needle holder at 29.

The needle holder is thereafter placed in the universal needle carrier 30 and clamped in position by a screw 31. The latter may be screwed down firmly as it bears against the metal needle holder 26 and not against the glass needle itself. The needle carrier has a shank 32 mounted for vertical adj ustment in a hollow post33. Adjustment is effected by means of a screw 34. l

The post 33 is in turn adjustably mounted in the bar 16 by means of another screw 35. The lower end of post 33 carries a guide plate 36, the opposite end of which slides vertically on a guide pin 37 in bar 16. A spring 38 urges the plate 36 downward. Upward movement against the force of the spring is effected by an adjusting screw 40.

The operation of the holder is as follows. The bar 5 is first rigidly clamped to the microscope stage by clamping means 9.

Thereafter the needle 25 is adjusted in the needle holder 26 and clamped in the needle carrier 30. Coarse vertical adjustment of the needle is eii'ected by means of the screw 34 and [ine adjustment by the screw 40. When finally adjusted the needle is clamped firmly in position by screw 35.

Up and down movements of the needle under the microscope is eected by manipulating vertical adjusting screw 63 which bears against bar 10 which in turn supports the holder means. And movements of the point of the needle in two directions at right angles is effected by first turning screw 20 which causes bars 15 and 16 to swing on the hinge member 18, while manipulation of the screw 21 causes bar 16 to swing on hinge member 19. The arcs 41 and 42 indicate the horizontal adjustments of the needle. The spring hinge members of course force the respective bars back into initial position.

The modification illustrated in Figure 4 embodies the horizontal adjustments pro vided by the invention in that a base 45 is provided adapted to be suitably clamped in position by clamping means 46. A bar 47 is pivoted to the base at 48, and another bar 49 is pivoted to bar 47 at 50. Adjusting screws 51 and 52 operate the bars 47 and 49 respectively. Springs 53 and 54 return the bars to initial positions.

Bar 49 may conveniently carry a holder 55 having an adjustable outer arm 56, so that, for instance, a glass slide 57 may be secureds in the holder and Aoroperly manipulated on a microscope stage by operating the screws 51 and'52, all in an obvious manner.

The instrument shown in Figure 4 may be made very economically and furnishes an inexpensive holder for students use or similar work not requiring the holder described above. In the latter case, bar 5 may have a base or pedestal indicated at 59 for supporting the holder on the base of a microscope or other instrument, and not necessarily on the stage thereof.

It should be .particularly noted that in each of the above forms of adjustable holder all of the horizontal and vertical adjusting screws, when rotated forwardly, must oppose the resilient spring hinges connecting the respective bars. This arrangement effectively and permanently eliminates lost motion in any of the moving parts of the device.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described apparatus in which the several features of this invention have been embodied. As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different lembodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a li Iiting sense. y? claim 4. In a device of the class described, an upright post provided with a clamp, an upright member hingedly connected to said l. The combination with a micro-pipette.. post, an adjusting screw threaded through or like device, of auholder thfr'ffyielding means for adjustablyclamping said device in said holder, supporting means and mechanism for independently adjusting said device vertically and horizontally.

2. In a device of the class described, an upright post provided With a clamp, an upright member hingedly connected to said post, an adjusting screw threaded through the post and coacting with said member, and an adjustably mounted clamp supported by said member.

3. In a device of the class described, an upright post provided with a clamp, an upright member hingedly connected to said post, an adjusting screw threaded through the post and coacting With said member, a horizontally-extending member rigidly secured to said upright member, a second horizontal member hingedly connected to the said horizontally-extending member, an adjusting screw threaded in the first horizontal member and co-acting with the second horizontal member, and an adjustable clamp on the last named member.

the post and coacting with said upright'. member, a horizontal member rigidly secured to said upright member, an adjusting screw threaded through the horizontal member, a second horizontal member hingedly connected to the iirst named horizontal member land coacting with its adjusting screw, an adjusting screw extending looselj7 through an aperture in the first named horizontal member and threaded through the second named horizontal member, a third horizontal member hingedly connected to the second named horizontal member and coacting with the last named screw, and a carrier mounted En the free end of the third horizontal mem- 5. A device of the character described comprising a base, a supporting bar pivoted thereto, a second bar pivoted to the said iirstv bar, adjusting screws for operating said bars on their hinges independent of each other, springs for returning said bars to initial positions and a holder secured to the said second bars.

ROBERT CHAMBERS. 

